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exorcismemily's review
4.0
"She feels like a tempting game. Or she and I are a tempting game. Two trains about to collide. A beautiful horror. An irresistible, bad, bad addiction. I can't look away."
Gretchen is kind of a blend of things (or a puzzle, which is a major theme in the book) - it's gothic and psychological horror, and also a suspense novel. I really enjoyed this story, and putting all the pieces together to figure out what was going on. There are several different storylines happening in this book, but everything is woven together well.
The beginning has kind of a slow start, but I was always interested enough to keep going. I wasn't wild about the ending, either, but everything still worked well together. There are so many intriguing characters in this book, and I really enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait to see what Shannon Kirk does next!
Gretchen is kind of a blend of things (or a puzzle, which is a major theme in the book) - it's gothic and psychological horror, and also a suspense novel. I really enjoyed this story, and putting all the pieces together to figure out what was going on. There are several different storylines happening in this book, but everything is woven together well.
The beginning has kind of a slow start, but I was always interested enough to keep going. I wasn't wild about the ending, either, but everything still worked well together. There are so many intriguing characters in this book, and I really enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait to see what Shannon Kirk does next!
charmandareads's review
4.0
I could not put this down; I constantly had to know what came next! I really enjoyed the first 3/4ths of this book, but I did have some problems with it.
I felt that this could have been split into two very successful stories. The story and backstory of Lucy and her Mom were my favorite parts of this novel. I felt they were more realistic, more suspenseful, and honestly, more terrifying than the parts of the story associated with the novel's namesake. I would read an entire novel dedicated to the point of view of Lucy's Mom during their 13 year run.
I found Gretchen quite excessive and unrealistic. I found Lucy's interactions and desire to stay when there were quite a few FLAMING red flag a little ridiculous as well. There was 0 explanation for Gretchen's bizarre appearance, or her mannerisms. There are some bits and pieces, but if more time was dedicated to her backstory, I might not have dislike her character as much as I did. I did not understand her father, or the pair's ultimate goals. I found the ending of this book confusing and almost painful. I just feel that there was too much left unsaid for the "Gretchen" side of the story for it to be successful.
I went back and forth on 3 and 4 stars, so I settled on 3 and a half - 4 for Goodreads. Because I did enjoy so much of this book, even if it was quite bizarre, but I would not say it was bad. It kept my attention, had me turning pages as fast as I could read them, and was a fun and wild ride. I just wish more of it made sense.
I felt that this could have been split into two very successful stories. The story and backstory of Lucy and her Mom were my favorite parts of this novel. I felt they were more realistic, more suspenseful, and honestly, more terrifying than the parts of the story associated with the novel's namesake. I would read an entire novel dedicated to the point of view of Lucy's Mom during their 13 year run.
I found Gretchen quite excessive and unrealistic. I found Lucy's interactions and desire to stay when there were quite a few FLAMING red flag a little ridiculous as well. There was 0 explanation for Gretchen's bizarre appearance, or her mannerisms. There are some bits and pieces, but if more time was dedicated to her backstory, I might not have dislike her character as much as I did. I did not understand her father, or the pair's ultimate goals. I found the ending of this book confusing and almost painful. I just feel that there was too much left unsaid for the "Gretchen" side of the story for it to be successful.
I went back and forth on 3 and 4 stars, so I settled on 3 and a half - 4 for Goodreads. Because I did enjoy so much of this book, even if it was quite bizarre, but I would not say it was bad. It kept my attention, had me turning pages as fast as I could read them, and was a fun and wild ride. I just wish more of it made sense.
bookgirl_71's review
2.0
I just do NOT even know what happened here?!? I was completely on board this crazy train for about 3/4 of the book, then it went in a direction that I can't even comprehend. I really want to give this a rating of 1 star, but the writing was good, so...
soshereads_'s review
5.0
Lucy has been on the run with her mother ever since she was two. If they land in some place, and someone gives the faintest inkling they recognize them from somewhere, Lucy’s mother packs up and finds somewhere else to live. Lucy always finds a friend she can be quiet with, but can never get attached because she knows eventually she’ll have to leave again. After another leaving in the middle of the night, Lucy and her mother finds a house on a property owned by Jerry and his daughter Gretchen, who is about Lucy’s age. Even though something screams off, Lucy is determined not to move anywhere again, anytime soon. Lucy discovers Gretchen is different, and has a creepy obsession with puzzles. Lucy soon becomes part of Gretchen’s obsession.
jess_reads_books's review
5.0
All Lucy has ever known is life on the run. Together with her mother, they have hopped from state to state the moment someone gets too close, the moment they heard someone say “you remind me of someone”, the moment they felt eyes linger on them for too long. Lucy has never known the real reason they are on the run. She has never known what drives her mother’s paranoia.
After thirteen years on the run, Lucy and her mother have landed in a town that Lucy feels is perfect. She can see a future here. A chance to go to school and hold a job like a normal teenager. There are a few things less than desirable about their new living situation. Their new home is located in the isolated New Hampshire woods on the outskirts of town. The landlord and his daughter live on the property in a house up the hill. The father is a pianist obsessed with wearing gloves to protect his hands. The daughter, Gretchen, is Lucy’s age and has all the makings of a perfect friend if only she could shake the possessiveness. Lucy is willing to look away from the flaws and fight for a place to call home, but is she denying too much of what is really happening around her?
WOW!! This review is going to be so hard to encompass all of the thoughts and feelings I have over this amazing book! Last year you might remember me raving over Shannon Kirk and her book, IN THE VINES. Well be prepared to never hear me stop talking about GRETCHEN! This book truly has everything I look for in crime fiction. There is a likeable narrator struggling through a personal drama, an atmospheric location that sets the stage for dread, and a cast of characters that are hiding so many secrets it’s hard to keep up. Whatever you think you’re getting into with this book, it’s that and so much more!
The narration of this story is split between Lucy and her mother. With each switch in narrator the reader slowly gains a hold on Lucy’s current life, as well as background from her mother to how living on the run came to be. All of the years Lucy was a baby and a toddler are covered with the mother’s perspective. What’s unique is that Lucy is unaware of the majority of what the reader learns in these passages. I love that Lucy has only a partial grip on her reality and is moving forward to the best of her abilities. She is an incredibly strong character who the reader can truly bond with.
Alongside Lucy are a cast of characters that no reader will soon forget. There are many that I loved and could mention, but not without giving away spoilers. I’ll keep those for chats with others who have read this book and focus on Gretchen. What a strange little girl! I’ve never been so fascinated by a non-narrator/main character the way I was with Gretchen. From learning about what makes her tick, watching her interactions with Lucy, and sitting front row for all of her crazy shenanigans...holy crap! Gretchen is an amazing character that I won’t be forgetting any time soon!
Similar to IN THE VINES, Kirk has mastered within the pages of GRETCHEN, how to use the setting of the story to make the words come to life for the reader. It didn’t matter what town I was in or what house I was walking through. I could vividly imagine all of the places mentioned in this book and truly felt transported into the story. Not only could I envision these places with utmost clarity, but because of that I could also feel every emotion coming from the characters.
At the end of the day, what you need to know is GRETCHEN is an amazing read and it needs to be on your TBR right now!
Disclosure: A huge thank you to Shannon Kirk for sending me a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
After thirteen years on the run, Lucy and her mother have landed in a town that Lucy feels is perfect. She can see a future here. A chance to go to school and hold a job like a normal teenager. There are a few things less than desirable about their new living situation. Their new home is located in the isolated New Hampshire woods on the outskirts of town. The landlord and his daughter live on the property in a house up the hill. The father is a pianist obsessed with wearing gloves to protect his hands. The daughter, Gretchen, is Lucy’s age and has all the makings of a perfect friend if only she could shake the possessiveness. Lucy is willing to look away from the flaws and fight for a place to call home, but is she denying too much of what is really happening around her?
WOW!! This review is going to be so hard to encompass all of the thoughts and feelings I have over this amazing book! Last year you might remember me raving over Shannon Kirk and her book, IN THE VINES. Well be prepared to never hear me stop talking about GRETCHEN! This book truly has everything I look for in crime fiction. There is a likeable narrator struggling through a personal drama, an atmospheric location that sets the stage for dread, and a cast of characters that are hiding so many secrets it’s hard to keep up. Whatever you think you’re getting into with this book, it’s that and so much more!
The narration of this story is split between Lucy and her mother. With each switch in narrator the reader slowly gains a hold on Lucy’s current life, as well as background from her mother to how living on the run came to be. All of the years Lucy was a baby and a toddler are covered with the mother’s perspective. What’s unique is that Lucy is unaware of the majority of what the reader learns in these passages. I love that Lucy has only a partial grip on her reality and is moving forward to the best of her abilities. She is an incredibly strong character who the reader can truly bond with.
Alongside Lucy are a cast of characters that no reader will soon forget. There are many that I loved and could mention, but not without giving away spoilers. I’ll keep those for chats with others who have read this book and focus on Gretchen. What a strange little girl! I’ve never been so fascinated by a non-narrator/main character the way I was with Gretchen. From learning about what makes her tick, watching her interactions with Lucy, and sitting front row for all of her crazy shenanigans...holy crap! Gretchen is an amazing character that I won’t be forgetting any time soon!
Similar to IN THE VINES, Kirk has mastered within the pages of GRETCHEN, how to use the setting of the story to make the words come to life for the reader. It didn’t matter what town I was in or what house I was walking through. I could vividly imagine all of the places mentioned in this book and truly felt transported into the story. Not only could I envision these places with utmost clarity, but because of that I could also feel every emotion coming from the characters.
At the end of the day, what you need to know is GRETCHEN is an amazing read and it needs to be on your TBR right now!
Disclosure: A huge thank you to Shannon Kirk for sending me a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
calistaandrechek's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Shannon Kirk and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Even since Lucy was a toddler she has been on the run with her mother. She has never understood the reasons behind all the lies and running, but she does understand the rules; no locking eyes with strangers, no letting down your guard and always be ready to run. Finally after thirteen years, their newest hideaway seems perfect. An isolated place in the New Hampshire woods they share with their landlord and his daughter. Gretchen soon becomes Lucy’s first real friend, but Gretchen and her father have their own secrets.
This is not at all what I expected it to be, but in the best way possible. I went into this book pretty much blind thinking that there was only one shocking thing that was going to come out of this novel and I could see it coming with little Gretchen; but there are so many twists and turns to this novel that I don’t want to give away! I really enjoyed Lucy and how she led such a sheltered life that things that seemed weird to us wasn’t so strange to her. I found the first bit of this novel to be a slower burn, but once you hit the halfway point, man does this book ramp up! I was shocked by all the twists that Kirk managed to fit into this novel and I really enjoyed how different this book was from all the others I have read!
Out July 23rd!
Even since Lucy was a toddler she has been on the run with her mother. She has never understood the reasons behind all the lies and running, but she does understand the rules; no locking eyes with strangers, no letting down your guard and always be ready to run. Finally after thirteen years, their newest hideaway seems perfect. An isolated place in the New Hampshire woods they share with their landlord and his daughter. Gretchen soon becomes Lucy’s first real friend, but Gretchen and her father have their own secrets.
This is not at all what I expected it to be, but in the best way possible. I went into this book pretty much blind thinking that there was only one shocking thing that was going to come out of this novel and I could see it coming with little Gretchen; but there are so many twists and turns to this novel that I don’t want to give away! I really enjoyed Lucy and how she led such a sheltered life that things that seemed weird to us wasn’t so strange to her. I found the first bit of this novel to be a slower burn, but once you hit the halfway point, man does this book ramp up! I was shocked by all the twists that Kirk managed to fit into this novel and I really enjoyed how different this book was from all the others I have read!
Out July 23rd!
suspensethrill's review
4.0
How do you neatly shelve a book that defies genre boundaries and stands in a league all on its own? Well, you clearly create a new genre titled WTAF! Also? I mean that in the highest complimentary way, because it made for an absolutely unputdownable read. Gretchen is the title of the book, but the story really focuses on things from Lucy's perspective of her tumultuous life thus far. While this is being billed as a psychological thriller, and it is one by all means, I think it falls neatly into the horror category as well, but don't let that scare you away if you aren't typically a horror reader.
As stated about, the story focuses on Lucy and her mother, and the upheaval that they've experienced in her short life. Things are starting to look up when they settle down in New Hampshire, where Lucy even makes a friend around her own age. Enter Gretchen! Gretchen is like a pesky case of head lice that you just can't shake. Oh sure, it seems harmless at first, and after you treat it you think it's gone, but it keeps coming back due to some unforeseen infestation. Now, imagine those head lice are actually a demonic little child who is obsessed with puzzles and you have the disease that is Gretchen.
Friends, I cannot emphasize enough what a wild ride this story provides. The tension is there instantaneously, but it continues to fester and roil in your gut until the explosive ending, and MY GOD SHANNON KIRK. I tip my hat to you woman, because you are a master at writing about the things we pretend are horrifying, but secretly, in our deepest and darkest of hearts, we greedily consume like rubberneckers, and tuck away to tell ourselves that at least we aren't as screwed up as those people. Have you met Gretchen yet? If not, I'd be happy to introduce you to each other, just know that you can't bring her back here when you're finished with her. Muahahahaha
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
As stated about, the story focuses on Lucy and her mother, and the upheaval that they've experienced in her short life. Things are starting to look up when they settle down in New Hampshire, where Lucy even makes a friend around her own age. Enter Gretchen! Gretchen is like a pesky case of head lice that you just can't shake. Oh sure, it seems harmless at first, and after you treat it you think it's gone, but it keeps coming back due to some unforeseen infestation. Now, imagine those head lice are actually a demonic little child who is obsessed with puzzles and you have the disease that is Gretchen.
Friends, I cannot emphasize enough what a wild ride this story provides. The tension is there instantaneously, but it continues to fester and roil in your gut until the explosive ending, and MY GOD SHANNON KIRK. I tip my hat to you woman, because you are a master at writing about the things we pretend are horrifying, but secretly, in our deepest and darkest of hearts, we greedily consume like rubberneckers, and tuck away to tell ourselves that at least we aren't as screwed up as those people. Have you met Gretchen yet? If not, I'd be happy to introduce you to each other, just know that you can't bring her back here when you're finished with her. Muahahahaha
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
literarybelleoftheball's review
5.0
Lucy and her mother have been on the run all her life. It finally seems like they’ll get a chance to settle down. Lucy is enrolled in school and allowed to get a job. One thing is curious about their new home however. Their neighbors Jerry and his daughter, Gretchen, seem a little strange. Lucy begins to worry that maybe settling down here is not really all it’s cracked up to be. This story is insane. Gretchen gave me the heeby jeebies from the beginning. There are so many twists and turns that I wasn’t even sure what to think, I could not put this book down.
aprilleigh's review
4.0
I had to chew on this one for a while before reviewing. The story itself, despite the claims of other reviewers who say it took a bizarre turn about 75% of the way through, was amazing. Solid imagination and beautifully detailed plot. Yes, the story changed dramatically at that point, but only because we finally started seeing what was really going on with all the creepy stuff.
Essentially, there were two different and entirely independent plots being detailed, with "coincidence" putting them together. There's the whole plot with Lucy and her mom, which all by itself made a really good story, probably more mystery than thriller, and definitely not horror. The plotline surrounding Gretchen and her father is independent of that and equally good, but this one is definitely horror. They were beautifully intertwined and the details of each plot played well against the background of the other plot, but they could have both been separate stories. They're better together, and it made for a very intriguing book.
My problem with it, and I'm well-aware this is only jarring to those of us with a high-level command of English language and grammar, is the poor editing job. For example (and trust me when I tell you this is far from the only one I could point to), I don't expect the average person to know the difference between "affect" and "effect." I don't even expect all writers to know this because imagination and good story-telling don't always go hand-in-hand with high-level language skills. I most definitely expect editors and proofreaders to know the difference, and for the author to be thanking people in her acknowledgments for doing these jobs when it's clear that they did them poorly just makes me wonder how these people got these jobs in the first place. Loss of one star for this alone, because I'm really tired of being jarred out of an otherwise excellent story by poor grammar, spelling, etc.
Essentially, there were two different and entirely independent plots being detailed, with "coincidence" putting them together. There's the whole plot with Lucy and her mom, which all by itself made a really good story, probably more mystery than thriller, and definitely not horror. The plotline surrounding Gretchen and her father is independent of that and equally good, but this one is definitely horror. They were beautifully intertwined and the details of each plot played well against the background of the other plot, but they could have both been separate stories. They're better together, and it made for a very intriguing book.
My problem with it, and I'm well-aware this is only jarring to those of us with a high-level command of English language and grammar, is the poor editing job. For example (and trust me when I tell you this is far from the only one I could point to), I don't expect the average person to know the difference between "affect" and "effect." I don't even expect all writers to know this because imagination and good story-telling don't always go hand-in-hand with high-level language skills. I most definitely expect editors and proofreaders to know the difference, and for the author to be thanking people in her acknowledgments for doing these jobs when it's clear that they did them poorly just makes me wonder how these people got these jobs in the first place. Loss of one star for this alone, because I'm really tired of being jarred out of an otherwise excellent story by poor grammar, spelling, etc.